Receptacle-operated supply valve



Dec.

A. l. REITMAN RECEPTACLE-OPERATED SUPPLY VALVE Filed March 3l. 1960 I 41 I I 4 l l M Q4* (yATToRzEY' United States. Patent() 3,112,762RECEPTACLE-OPERATED SUPPLY VALVE Abraham I. Reitman, 10407 Byron Ave.,

Oakland 3, Calif. Filed Mar. 31, 1960, Ser. No. 18,973 1 Claim. (Cl.137-498) The invention relates to a liquid-supply valve which isprimarily -arranged -for its control by a liquid-receiving receptacle inaccordance with the weight of the receptacle and its liquid contents,and for maintaining a desired such weight for the assembly.

In Iparticular connection with poultry and animal husbandry, it is mostimportant that an adequate water supply be provided and automaticallymaintained in a watering trough or other open-topped basin-providingreceptacle Iunder control of the existing quantity of water therein, itbeing understood that a corresponding type of valve control isfrequently useful and desirable in industry with respect to themaintenance of lixed quantities of liquid in various receivers. Inaccordance with the present invention, -it is there-fore a generalobject to provide a liquidsupply valve assembly of particularly simpleand eifective structure for meeting the aforesaid and other conditions.

A more specific object is to provide a liquid-supply valve providing thepresent type of control with an improved double-action means `forautomatically maintaining a desired liquid'level in a suppliedreceptacle.

Another `object is to provide a valve of the present type usch that itis arranged for its operative installation in cooperative combinationwith receptacles of different weights and dimensions.

A `further object is to provide a valve of the character describedhaving a valve plug assembly arranged ifor a ready removal thereof fromthe valve body for cleaning or replacement without interfering with therelation of the valve body to a liquid-receiving receptacle with'whichthe valve is associated.

An added `object is to facilitate a xed mounting of the valve incooperative relation to .an installed receptacle, or vice versa.

The invention possesses 'other objects and yfeatures of advantage, someof which, with 4the foregoing, 'will be set forth or be apparent in thefollowing description of a typical embodiment thereof, and in theaccompanying drawings, in which,

FIGURE l is an elevation showing the present valve as cooperativelyassociated with a wateringtrough or the like.

FIGURE 2 is 4an enlanged fragmentary sectional elevation taken in anupright plane through the axis of the `valve body, with the cooperativevalve parts shown as in opened-valve relation.

FIGURE 3 is a View corresponding to that of FIG- URE 2 and showing thevalve in closed condition.

FIGURE 4 is a partial section of the valve taken at the broken line 4-4in FGURE 3. i

FIGURE 5 is a section taken at the line 5-5 in -FIG- URE 2. p

As particularly illustrated, a unitary val-ve'assembly 7 including thefeatures of, present invention is operatively installed between atixedly mounted terminal portion of a liquid-supply pipe 8 and anopen-topped liquid receptacle comprising a trough 9 which is normallysupported in part from the valve in such a manner that the weight of thetrough and any liquid therein controls the condition of the valve as aflow control means. As particularly illustrated, an open-toppedreceptacleA comprising the trough 9 is hin-gedly supported at one end ona lixedly positioned bracket base 10 Ifor vits swinging adjustment'in avertical plane, and has its other end supported by a link` 11 depending`from a flow-controlling arm 12 of the valve assembly. Essentially, thearm 12 has one end thereof hingedly carried by the valve body for aswinging of the arm in an upright plane, is engaged by the link 11 at apoint spaced from its axis of hinging, and is suitably spring-biasedtoward .an upwardly swung position thereof.

The mechanism of the present valve 7 is provided -in or on a generallycylindrical tubular body 13 having its axis uprightV and providingrelatively large aligned upper and lower bore portions 14 and 15vrespectively dening coaxial cavities extending from the opposite bodyends and connected by a relatively sm-aller bore or port 18 extendingaxially through an integral body portion 19 which comprises a partitionbetween the larger bore portions, With the bore -1-8 providing a valvedow duct between the cavities of the bores 14 and 15. As shown, the bore14 is threaded for lits supported connection to the depending end of thesupply pipe 8 for xedly supportingv the valve body from theappropriately supported pipe; and the bottom of the bore cavity isdownwardly and conically tapered to its juncture with the upper end ofthe duct 1S for providing a funneled How of liquid .-f-rom the pipe -8through the opened port 18.

The under side of the body partition 19 provides an annular valve seat21 with respect to which a unitary valve-plug assembly 22 is operative,with said assembly essentially including a cylindrical stem section 23of uniform diameter connecting an end portion 24 comprising a relativelysoft discate sealing washer 24 -for sea-ling engagement with the seat 21and replacedly mounted in a cylindrical cup member 24" which is looselyand coaxially swiveled to the stern end thereat, and a conical endportion 25 tapering coaxially outwardly -froni the other stem end to apreferably rounded apical point 25' thereof. The outside diameters ofthe portions 24 and 25 both exceed that of the connecting stern portion23 of the assembly, and the stem and point portions 23 and 2S of theassembly 22 preferably comprise parts of a homogeneous body ofliquid-impervious, material ,whichv is slightly and resilientlydeformable as, for instance, -arelatively hard but flexible nyloncomposition such as Nylatron Essentially, the present valve plugassembly 22 is arranged `for `its required exed deformation to provideand maintain a fully sealed engagement ofthe washer 24 with the seat 21while the valve 7 is closed under `control of the arm 12. v J

in the present arrangement, the side of the valvebody 7 is provided witha radial discharge opening 26 to pro.- vide for the ow of liquid fromthe portion ofthe cavity 17 between the partition 19 and a lixedlydisposed underlying member 27 partitioning lthe cavity .17 and carryingthe valve-plug assembly. In the present assembly, the axis of theopening 26 liessubstantially in the plane of the lower face of thebodyrpartition 1 9, and'said opening iixedly and sealledly receives anarm 28 cfa suitable ,angle fitting l28 having its otherprin V28depending from the elbow portion of the fitting and of appropriatelength and forrnfor a `directed free gravity discharge of the liquidtherefrom into a receiving receptacle, as the trough 9.

Preferably, and as shown, Athe va-lvestern 23 is slidably and Vguidedlyengaged through an axial bore through the member 27 which is mountedin-and across the uniform -bore 15 of the body cavity 17 in such xedspaced relation to the valve seat 21 that it defines between it and thebody partition `19 .a chamber 2,9 in which thevalve plug assembly 22 isdisplaceable from theY normally sealed 'engagement of its sealing disc24 with Ithe seat 21 for a full opening vof the duct -18 to provide forthe escape of It will now be noted that the member 27 comprises the iportion of the member which is sealedly and removably engaged with saidbore in a suitable manner, as by means of a neoprene ring 34 engaged ina peripheral groove provided in the member side 34 adjacent its discportion 27 as comprising the liquid seal for the member and portion.Mutually coplanar kerfs or Slots 35 of like width extend from the bottomend of the member 32 through the side 34 thereof in a plane axial anddiametric of the member to jointly and guidedly receive parts of avalveseating cam portion 36 of the control arm I12V which extends as alateral ear from the upper edge line of the arm 12 ladjacent an endthereof.

As shown, the ear 36 rotatably receivestin a transverse bore 36therethrough an intermediate portion of a tubular sleeve member 37 whichis disposed in a diametric bore through the bottom end portion of themember 32 within the contines thereof and in pressdit relation to thebore. The sleeve member 37 encloses a close-tting pin 38 which has theopposite end port-ions thereof directly engaged through aligned radialopenings 39 provided in and adjacentV the bottom of the valve body 13,whereby the pin 38 functions to releasably secure the member 32 withinthe bore 15. VThe pin 3S may conveniently comprise a cotter key tofacilitate an assembly and disassembly of the member 32-and the attachedvalve plug assembly with respect to the valve body 13, the arrangementbeing essentially such that the pin 38 iixes the member 32 within thebore while the engagement of the member 32 through the arm ear 36provides for a limited swinging of theV lever arm 12 about the member37.

The present valve-control arm 12 comprises an elongated ilat bar ofuniform thickness which is arranged for its swinging in its plane aboutthe axis of the body-carried sleeve member 37 which is engaged throughthe terminal V"arm ear 36 providing for the present hinged attachment ofthe ann to the valve body for its desirable swinging between limitingvalve-closing positions thereof (FIGURES 3 and 4) through anintermediate position (FIGURES 1 and 2) in which the valve 7 ispermitted to fully open through the action of the biasing spring 30 ofthe valve plug assembly 22. Accordingly, the valve-attached arm 12-isarranged for the swingable and resiliently yielding support of the endofthe :receptacle 9 through the support hub 11 therefor by a means 41which is operative in tension at an intermediate yarm point between thesupport points provided through the arm ear 36 and the receptaclesupportlink 11. f

Y As particularly illust-rated, the intermediate arm support means 41includes a helical tension spring 42 connecting the valve-control arm 12with a support arm 43 extending as a bradket in fixed overlying relationto the arm 12 from an element 44 which is mounted upon the upper end ofthe valve body 13 with its part 43 preferably directed from the oppositebody side than that at which the angle tting 2S is provided. The mountedelement 44`has a flat portion providinglthe arm 43 and disposed oppositethe upper body end and provided `with downturned ears 44' at opposite-sides thereof complementarily and closely receiving the upper portionof the body 13 between them and suitably iixed to the body as by tapscrews. It desired, the ilat portion of the element 44 may mount clampscrews for use in mounting the present valve assembly 7 directly on asuitable support (not shown) instead of depending on anindependenttiixed mounting of the pipe 8 for supporting the assembly.

In the presen-t structure, the support arm 43 slidably and rockablyre-ceives therethrough a rod member 45 which extends through arelatively weak and normally expanded helical compression spring 46 andthreadedly mounts above the spring a nut 47 which is cupped from belowto receive the fully compressed spring 46 for the support of the -rodfromfthe arm by said spring and nut, or by the nut alone, for a slightlowering and swinging thereof during a use of the present valveassembly. At its lower end, the rod 45 is provided with a transverse eyeopening for the attaching engagement therethrough of the upper hook end42 of a tension spring 42 having its other end 4 formed as a hook orloop to enga-ge the control arm 12, whereby the assembly of the'presentsupport means 41 comprises the spring 42 and the rod 45 and the spring46 and the nut 47. As particularly shown, the lower tension spring hook142l is engaged Vwith and beneath an underlying tongue 48 which deiineslthe upper side of an L-shaped notch 49 extending into the .control arm12 from its upper edge.

A means is preferably provided for attaching the upper end of thereceptacle-supporting link 11 to the control arm 12 selectively atspaced points along the anm portion which extends beyond the supportmeans 41, and said arm portion is particularly shown as being providedtherealong with a line of holes 51 therethrough and a line ofcrossnotches 52 in its top edge, with said holes and notches beingarranged for their selective hook-on engagement by a laterally-directedtopv portion of the link. -It will be understood that the aforesaidprovision for adjustably connecting the link 11 to the control arm 12provides for various adjustment of the relation of the present valveassembly 7 to receptacles 9 of different structural weights and/ orlengths and/or normal loaded weights for meeting diiferent installationconditions which generally provide for a substantially horizontaldisposition of the arm 12 while the valve is open, as in FIGURES 1 and2. It will also be understood that the link 1v1 may extend from aconnection with a load-actuated receptacle-.carrying member rather thanfrom the receptacle itself for utilizing the present Iflow-controldevice.

Referring now to the specific form and Ifunctioning of the ear 36 of thecontrol arm 12 with respect to the valve plug assembly 22, it will benoted that the present said ear has a uniform thickness for the guidedextensionr of side portions thereof into the kerfs 35 of the member 32which carries the valve plug assembly 22, has opposite side edgeportions 54 mutually parallel and perpendicular to the plane of the armand mutually spaced to permit the required swinging of the ear ywithinthe lower portion of the body cavity 17', and has the outer ends of itsside edges 54 connected by an intermediately interrupted cylindricallyIcurved camming edge portion 55 having the axis of its cylindercoincident with that of the transverse ear bore 36' which receives thesleeve member 37 on which the f arm 12 is pivotally mounted.

It lwill now be particularly noted that the arcuate ear edge portion 55is provided intermediately therewithwith Y a V-notch 56 extendinginwardly from said edge in sym-` V rnetrical relation to a radial planethrough the notch apex and the axis of the sleeve-receiving ear bore 36whereby its mutually opposed side faces deiine camming edge portions andmake equal angles with said plane and mutually denne an included anglewhichis no less than that of the conicalend portion 25 of the valve plugassembly, whereby the notch 56vmay fully receive and engage said pointwhile the valve-control arm -12 is substantially horizon tally disposedin an intermediate position therefor and the saro.

valve is fully open, the latter relations being indicated in FGURE 2.When the plug end 2S is fully seated in the notch 56, the sealing disc211- of the plug assembly 22 is preferably held slightly spaced from theguide-disc end 27 of the member 32, it being understood that a rockingor" the aun i2 in its plane from its intermediate opendvalve positionwill actuate the appropriate notch face against the rounded tip portionof the point 25 as a double-acting cam ol the arm for moving the valveplug unit with a minimum of friction against the seat 21 for its fullysealed and maintained engagement therewith while said point rides on theappropriate unnotched portion of the camming edge 5S of the ear, as inFGURE 3.

Understanding that the chamber portion 29 will contain some of theliquid above the discharge passage provided by the part 28 of theiitting 23 while the present valve is either opened or closed, and thatsuch trapped liquid may, at least in part, escape through the guideopening for the valve plug stern 23 in the part 27 of the element 32 forits downward flow upon the immediately overlying portion of die controlarrn 12, and thence downwardly to and along the bottom edge of said armwhen said edge slopes downwardly, as in FTGURE 3, a means is preferablyprovided for insuring the discharge of any such escaping liquid into anopen portion of the receptacle which underlies the present valve unit.As particularly shown, a drip-oil projection 58 is preferably providedon and in depending relation to the bottom edge of the arm 12 andbeneath the valve body 13 to prevent the delivery of any liquid escapingfron the chamber 29 along the valve stern 23 elsewhere than into thereceptacle, whereby to avoid waste of the liquid and the wetting ofsurfaces external to the liquid-receiving space of the receptacle. itwill be understood that, by reason of the fact that the valve stem 23-and the member 27 are ot dissii ilar and relatively hard materials, thatthe valve stern will be subjected to a minimum degree of wear by reasonof its reciprocation in the guide bore of said member.

Since the present valve-controlling watering troughs or receptacles, andparticularly those which are used for supplying drinking water topoultry and smaller animals, are usually of rather light constructionand may be accidentally disconnected from their linked connection withthe control arm of the present type of valve, and are also arranged fortheir ready disrnounting from the valve for their cleaning orreplacement, it will be understood that the tension spring 42 is fullyoperative to dispose the control arm l2 in its upwar ly swung positionfor the closing oi' the valve passage while a trough is disassociatedwith the valve. The effective strength of the compression spring 46 ofthe arm support assembly 41, which is operative between the bracket arm43 and the nut 47 on the support rod 45, is preferably slightly lessthan that of the receptacle, or receptacle portion, to be supported,whereby an empty receptacle carried or remounted on the arm may compressthe spring 45 for the engagement of the appro riately adjusted nut 4?'with the bracket arm to thereby allow a sufcient downward swinging ofthe arm to open the valve for supplyiny the initially empty trough withwater until the arm is disposed for the closing of the valve when theliquid in the receptacle has reached its desired level. lt will thus beunderstood that the pron? vision and action of the compression spring 46eliminates any need for a hand-lifting of the control arm 12 to start asupplying of liquid to the initially empty armsupported receptacle,since the action of said spring alone insures an opening of the presentvalve for providing a normal weight of liquid in the receptacle, and thesubsequent maintenance tuercoi in ie described manner.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, the advantages of the present receptacle-operated supply valvewill be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which theinvention appertains. While l have shown and described a structure andoperative arrange ent which I now consider to comprise a preferredembodiment of my invention, l desire to have it understood that theshowings are primarily illustrative, and that such changes anddevelopments may be made, when desired, as fall within the scope of thefollowing claim.

I claim:

In combination with a receptacle supp rted for its automatic lowering orraising in accordance with an increase or decrease respectively in thelevel of liquid in the receptacle, a ixedly mounted tubular valve bodyhaving its axis upright and providing a ow passage extending from itstop for connecting said valve assembly at its inlet end to a supply ofliquid under pressure and arranged for the discharge of the liquidtherefrom into the receptacle for maintaining a predetermined liquidlevel in and with respect to the receptacle, means at the discharge endof said passage providing a valve seat arranged for its engagement by areciprocabie valve plug to sealedly close the passage thereat againstthe discharge pressure of the supplied liquid, a valve plug movableaxially in said passage with respect to said seat, a means cooperativewith said body and constantly biasing said valve plug to an unseatedrelation thereof with respect to said seat, a control member comprisinga lever pivotally carried by said valve body for movement in an uprightplane about an axis intersecting and perpendicular to that of the valveplug and with reference to a generally horizontal intermediate positionthereof in which the valve is open and providing a cam means constantlyand directly engaged by said vlave plug in the axial line thereof andcomprising an edge cam having its working edge comprisingcircumferentially spaced edge portions of like radius coaxial with thepivotal axis of the lever and connected by a V notch directed towardsaid axis whereby a passage-closing disposal of the cam-engaging valveplug is effected by said cam edge when said lever is pivoted eitherabove or below said generally horizontal intermediate position.

References @tad in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,653,525White ec. 20, 1927 2,961,156 Myers lune 17, i952 2,620,829 rl`olley Dec.9, 1952 2,629,581 Toadvine Feb. 24, 1953 2,739,609 Morris Mar. 27, 19562,895,917 Hoffmeister uly 30, 1957 2,894,717 Camp uly 14, 1959

